Knowing that finasteride 5mg tablets are much cheaper than the 1mg ones, is it safe to use the 5mg formula to treat male pattern hair loss?

Hi,

Unfortunately, only finasteride 1mg is approved for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and not finasteride 5mg.

Higher doses of finasteride will likely be associated with a higher risk of potential side effects such as erectile dysfunction.

As patient safety is the most important in prescribing medical treatment, I would strongly recommend keeping to the standard dose of finasteride 1mg rather than taking a higher dose of 5mg for most patients. Do discuss with your doctor as generic finasteride 1mg offers good value to patients.